Cold case reopens as phone records expose murder suspects

The wheels of justice have started turning on the murder case of a teenage Maun girl, which had gone cold for a year, as police struggled to find any leads.

Last week investigators made a breakthrough into the murder of 19-year-old Onnee Gakepina after tracing phone records that led to the arrest of Neo Leatamo, 26, and Keanole Mojuta Bosigo, 30.

The two suspects who are both from Boseja ward are alleged to have, on the morning of March 31st crept behind the girl, and dragged her behind the nearby bushes where they are suspected to have raped her and stabbed her with a sharp object before dumping her behind Disaneng Primary School.

Gakepina’s worried family are said to have then reported her as missing person until after a week when her remains were found decomposed beyond recognition in the bush behind the school and the case grew cold thereafter as there were no leads.

As they stood started in the dock this week, the accused were advised to reserve their plea but they proclaimed their innocence and told the court that they only admitted to the crime as the police officers tortured them. “I did not kill anyone, the police assaulted me so hard and I had no choice but to agree to the offence,” said Bosigo.

The Prosecution on the other hand explained that the case had grown cold since last year in March as there were no leads until on the 7th of February 2018 when they found information from Orange Network provider linking the two accused to the case.

As the court awaits DNA results which might exonerate the accused, Magistrate Mmoloki Sibanda warned them of the seriousness of the offence and advised them to apply for bail at the high court.

According to a family member at court who preferred to be anonymous, the last person to contact the deceased was one of Gakepina’s woman friends.

The said friend is said to have reported that when she called, a male voice had answered Gakepina’s phone that morning and kept quiet.

“That morning Gakepina was supposed to drop lunch money for her siblings at Disaneng Primary school and then drop her mother’s shoes at the mall but she never did as she disappeared. Her body was found decomposed; her ID and the clothes she was wearing were found at the scene as well as her mother’s shoes”.

The two suspects are expected back in court for mention on February 27th.